Months of work gone to waste

READING College students face months of extra study because they were set inadequate coursework by their tutors.

Nine students studying for a National Diploma in Public Services at Reading College and School of Arts & Design could have to work until December - six months after their two-year course was due to end - to re-do the assignments.

"I wanted to join the RAF as soon as I finished. I have all the application forms, but I can't see the point in filling them in until I know what is happening about my course. At the moment I feel as if I've wasted two years of my life."

Another student, Oliver Rickmore, 18, left Reading on Sunday to spend the summer working in America.

"It's a nightmare - the situation is very confused," he told the Evening Post before leaving.

"All our plans are up in the air - there are a lot of people worried about what they're going to do."

The problem arose after Edexcel inspected the college, which recently became part of Thames Valley University, to check teachers were setting and marking coursework to the required standard.

Their inspection revealed some teachers in the first year of the course had assessed students on the wrong exam criteria, then failed to have the work checked by another member of staff as they were meant to.

Following the inspection the college called parents and students to a meeting to explain the debacle.

Yesterday, a spokesperson for Edexcel said: "Reading College has been told that it has not met national standards for the internally set and marked assignments.

"This means that students may have to complete new coursework to the national standard before they gain the qualification."

Acting Principal Lee Nicholls admitted there was a problem, but said the college would help students going on to university.

"The college will liase directly with, for example, university admissions tutors, to ensure students' plans to progress are not disrupted by this delay," he said.

"The college recognises and understands that this is a stressful time for students, and is doing all it can to allow certification to proceed as quickly as possible."

He also said that lessons would be learned following the damning Edexcel inspection.

"As a result of the visit, the college will be reviewing its system for internal verification of assessed work, in order to ensure assessment is thorough and covers the required range," he said.

The college received a damning Ofsted report in April this year, which called the institution "inadequate".

"Leadership and management at the college are unsatisfactory, and the college does not provide value for money," the report said.

"Retention and pass rates have been significantly below average for the last three years."

"Although most teaching is satisfactory, the profile of good or better teaching is below the national average for general further education colleges. The college management has paid insufficient attention to addressing these problems."

Ms Archer added that record-keeping at the college had been shambolic.

"At the end of the first year my tutor left, and when I got back to college they said I had not been attending for the last 10 weeks of term, which I had.

"I had to go round all my teachers to get letters saying I had been there - but despite that, I was still called a liar to my face, and was told there was no record of me being there.

"There is a very bad feeling around the college."

Her experience echoes that of Charlene Millard, who had her vital travel expenses stopped because the college said she was not attending class.

"I have been at lessons and they don't take the register," Miss Millard told the Evening Post in April. "Some of the tutors are okay but some just don't bother."as if I've wasted two years of my life."

Another student, Oliver Rickmore, 18, left Reading on Sunday to spend the summer working in America.

"It's a nightmare - the situation is very confused," he told the Evening Post before leaving.

"All our plans are up in the air - there are a lot of people worried about what they're going to do."

The problem arose after Edexcel inspected the college, which recently became part of Thames Valley University, to check teachers were setting and marking coursework to the required standard.

The inspection revealed some tutors in the first year of the course had assessed students on the wrong exam criteria, then failed to have the work checked by another member of staff.

Following the inspection the college called parents and students to a meeting to explain the debacle.

Yesterday, a spokesperson for Edexcel said: "Reading College has been told that it has not met national standards for the internally set and marked assignments.

"This means that students may have to complete new coursework to the national standard before they gain the qualification."

Acting Principal Lee Nicholls said the college would help students going on to university.

"The college will liaise directly with, for example, university admissions tutors, to ensure students' plans to progress are not disrupted by this delay," he said.

"The college recognises that this is a stressful time for students and is doing all it can to allow certification to proceed as quickly as possible."

He also said lessons would be learned following the damning Edexcel inspection.

"As a result of the visit, the college will be reviewing its system for internal verification of assessed work," he said.

The college received a damning Ofsted report in April this year.

It said: "Leadership and management at the college are unsatisfactory, and the college does not provide value for money.

"Retention and pass rates have been significantly below average for the last three years."

Ms Archer added that record-keeping at the college had been shambolic.

"At the end of the first year my tutor left, and when I got back to college they said I had not been attending for the last 10 weeks of term, which I had.

"I had to go round all my teachers to get letters saying I had been there - but I was still called a liar to my face.

"There is a very bad feeling around the college."

Her experience echoes that of Charlene Millard, who had her vital travel expenses stopped earlier this year because the college said she was not attending class.